Using telemedicine on an acute care surgery service: improving clinic efficiency and access to care
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and Other Interventional Techniques
2020 SAGES ORAL
Using telemedicine on an acute care surgery service: improving clinic efficiency and access to care Kaela Parnell1,2 · Kali Kuhlenschmidt1,2 · Dina Madni1,2 · Cynthia Chernyakhovsky2 · Inna Donovan2 · Karen Garofalo2 · Susan Hambrick2 · Daniel J. Scott1,2 · Sarah C. Oltmann1,2 · Stephen Luk1,2 Received: 13 April 2020 / Accepted: 29 September 2020 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Background Telemedicine has been shown to improve patient access to medical care while potentially improving overall healthcare efficiency. It has not been consistently explored on an acute care surgery service as a method of increasing clinic availability and efficiency within a safety-net hospital system. Socioeconomic hardships associated with an in-person clinic visit can deter patients with limited resources. A virtual clinic for post-operative laparoscopic cholecystectomy patients was developed. We hypothesized that a virtual follow-up increases clinic efficiency and availability for new patients without compromising patient safety. Methods A retrospective review of patient and clinic outcomes before and after implementing virtual post-op visits for uncomplicated laparoscopic cholecystectomy patients on an acute care surgery service was performed. Providers called postoperative patients using a standardized questionnaire. Data included outpatient clinic composition (new vs. post-operative patients), elective operations scheduled, emergency department visits, and loss to follow-up rates. Results February to March 2017 was the baseline pre-intervention period, while February to March 2019 was post-intervention. Pre-intervention clinics consisted of 17% new and 50% post-op visits, in comparison to 31% new and 27% post-op visits in the post-intervention group (p
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